


How being way too nervous got Steve Rogers a date

by Theshygirloverthere



Series: Steve Rogers is an Idiot [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes, M/M, War Veteran Bucky Barnes, steve is bad at speeches, steve rogers is an idiot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 13:05:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19394746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theshygirloverthere/pseuds/Theshygirloverthere
Summary: So Steve Rogers is an idiot. But in his defense the last time he addressed a real crowd was over seventy years ago. At least it works out in his favor.





	How being way too nervous got Steve Rogers a date

“Sam I can’t do this.” Steve whipped around, he should definitely just make a run for it.

Sam’s hands came down on Steve’s shoulder, effectively keeping him from doing just that. “Man, listen, I know you think this is a horrible idea but I promise it’s going to be great.”

Steve took the steps two at a time, “You don’t get it though, the last time I did this I was booed off the stage and they threw tomatoes at me.” They stopped in front of a thick blue curtain.

Sam turned to face him, “Exactly, so it can’t be any worse than that.” And with that Steve was shoved forcefully through the curtain and onto the stage. At least a hundred faces stared back at him, all of them silent. Steve’s eyes went impossibly wide, he was pretty sure they could all see him shaking. Deep breath, he thought, you got this.

“Um, he-hello!” He seemed to have lost any and all the charm that he used to have seventy years ago. Dammit, he used to be good at this! Now he was a blubbering mess. He was so going to get Sam back for making him do this. “I’m uh Captain America, obviously…” Shit, maybe he should rethink running.

But Sam was there again, a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, sorry guys the Captain’s just a little stage shy, this isn’t 1947 anymore.” They both turned to face the back of the stage faces close. “Man what are you doing?” Sam hissed at him.

Steve noticed his breathing was faster than it should have been. His first thought was asthma, but that couldn’t be it. “Sam I don’t, I wasn’t even there for 1947, I was in the ice. Oh my god, I’m making a fool of myself, how do you do this, how did I do this before?” 

“Woah, dude you got to calm down.” Steve began deep breaths, hoping maybe that would stop the aching pains in his chest.

He met Sam’s eyes, “I can’t do this.”

“Steven Grant Rogers, you can absolutely do this. You’re Captain fucking America, you can literally do just about anything. So get it together, because this auditorium of vets came to see their inspiration, their role model. You can do this because I’m pretty sure that no matter what you say these guys are going to love it.”

“Okay, yeah, inspiration.” Sam backed up, throwing him a thumbs up before exiting the stage. Steve slowly turned back to face the crowd, “I just want to start by saying thank you, to all of you, for your service.” From there he launched into his pre rehearsed speech about his time in the service and how it affected him. He talked for what seemed like forever but it only could have been thirty minutes. Steve really could not wait to get off the stage. He had really only stumbled over a few words, and was pretty sure he only sounded like an idiot to himself.

“Yeah, let’s hear it Captain America guys.” Sam reappeared behind him, and clapping him on the back. “Now if you have any questions, the Captain here will be happy to answer them.”

Questions. Steve could definitely not do questions. The only reason he got through his speech was because he rehearsed it seventeen times this morning. You couldn’t rehearse questions. He was so screwed.

Hands shot up all around the theater, Sam stayed on stage picking hands at random so Steve didn’t have to. It wasn’t really going as bad as he thought. He answers some questions about the Howling Commandos, the time period, even Howard Stark of all people was a question. It was somewhere around the ninth or tenth question that Steve’s breathing became quicker. The questions were starting to get much more personal and it was making him uncomfortable, but it’s not like he could tell them that. Then it happened. The inevitable question about the one and only Peggy Carter. “Tell us more about your relationship with Peggy Carter, Captain.”

Steve had actually had something prepared in case Peggy came up, he was going to get all mushy about how he loved her and it was horrible that he never he got his dance with her. It was the answer he was supposed to give, but he didn’t. Well he almost did starting with, “Peggy, I loved her, she was um… great, yeah.”

But then the question continued, “Would you have married her?” And where these people got off thinking they deserved to know his personal shit, he didn’t know.

“No.” And that was not the answer he thought was going to come out. “I mean, like, uh. I’m gay.” And there it was. The crowd erupted, that was not what anyone was expecting. Definitely not what Steve was expecting himself to say.

He heard Sam curse beside him before ushering him off the stage with a wide smile directed at the crowd. “Man, what the hell was that!” Sam was pacing now, running a hand over his head. “Dude Pepper is going to kill you, no she’s going to kill me.”

“Fuck,” Steve murmured under his breath.

“I mean like good for you man, but Pepper’s going to have a fit that this came out to a room of cranky veterans first.” 

And then there was a third voice, “Hey, uh I just wanted to say that it was really cool that you came out like that.”

Steve turned to find the most beautiful man he had ever seen staring back at him. He was wearing dark jeans that fit his hips almost too well and a red Henley that left just about nothing to the imagination. The left sleeve was empty and tied. His dark hair reached almost to his shoulders and framed his face in the best was possible. He was perfect and Steve could feel his mouth hanging open like he was a teenager in one of those dumb movie Tony made him watch. He stuck his hand out towards the man, managing to spit out one word, “Steve.”

The man smiled grabbing Steve’s hand in a firm shake, “Bucky.” Steve’s hand tingled from where it had just made contact with Bucky’s. He was still gaping. “I just wanted to thank you, it means a lot to know that you’re not alone and that famous people like you have issues too and stuff.”

Steve was an idiot. He was frozen in place, completely silent and still staring at the man. Bucky was starting to look weirded out now. Thank god for Sam who recognized that Steve was basically paralyzed, “Thanks, it really means a lot to the Captain here. It’s tough for him to talk about this stuff.”

“Yeah, um, I’m uh gay too so it’s just nice to know that someone I’ve always looked up to feels the same way.” He blushed a little at his own confession, “Thanks again.” With a little wave in Steve’s direction, Bucky was gone. Already disappearing back into the crowd of vets.

He was hardly gone when Sam slapped the back of Steve’s head, snapping him out of his trance. “Dude, what the fuck was that? He was obviously flirting and you looked like a damn fool.”

“I told you I couldn’t do this.”

Sam shook his head, “No, you said you couldn’t do the whole speech thing, talking to pretty white boys should have been easy after that.”

“But Sam he wasn’t just pretty he was was gorgeous,” Steve could still feel the warmth of Bucky’s hand on his own.

“So why didn’t you just ask him out then?”

Steve gasped a little. “I can’t just-”

“Except you can.” Sam cut him off. “That man has the hots for you so you should ask him on a date, or at least get his number.”

Steve carefully considered his options. If he didn’t go talk to Bucky, Sam would tease him forever. If he went and actually talked to him though, he could get rejected and never live that down either. Running was seeming like a pretty good option again. But it was too late. Sam was pulling him by his arm through the crowd until Bucky came into view again. With a harsher than necessary shove Sam was gone and Bucky was looking up at him with wide eyes.

“Hi,” Steve sounded pained, he was so pathetic. “I um, do you… a uh date, with me?” An idiot, he was an idiot.

Bucky was smiling at him. Light from a window somewhere behind him lighting up his features. “Is Captain America asking me on a date?” He said playfully, taking a step closer to Steve.

“Uh no,” Bucky’s face fell at that so Steve quickly continued, “But um Steve Rogers is.”

And there it was again that smile made Steve’s insides churn, he was praying Bucky would say no. There was no way he’d survive their date if Bucky kept smiling at him like that.

“Okay, you name the time and place Steve, I’ll be there.”

“Really?” Bucky nodded at him, smirking. “I just thought that I’d make a joke of myself today so there was no way you’d actually say yes, but I’m uh glad you did.”

“Well I’m saying yes. So,” Bucky grabbed his arm, and began writing on the back of his hand with a pen that seemed to come out of nowhere, “here is my number. Text me the details of this date.”

“Yeah, sounds perfect.” Steve was pretty he was going to die. He did not think that this was how his day was going to end. Bucky said a quick goodbye and melted back into the crowd.

Sam materialized behind him, “Is that a phone number I see written on your arm?”

Steve looked down at the seven digits and smiled. So maybe he wasn’t a complete idiot after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow so in the last fic I said that it would be like months before my stupid brain spit out anything half decent but here we are not even twenty-four hours later with another short. Enjoy!


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